Do you ever wonder what happens to people after their stories make headlines in the local papers and then you don’t hear what happened to them next?

Last year, The Times brought you the story of Rob, a friendly, homeless man who spent 10 years on the streets, at least five of those in Langley. His face and tall, lanky stature would be recognized by many who live or work in Langley City.

He came to the attention of Langley RCMP Const. Laurine Croshaw who was regularly dealing with the homeless. She saw he had been arrested and was in Langley’s holding cells. She went to see him and noticed he couldn’t get his boots off.

The frost bite and gangrene on the bottom of his feet has melded his socks and the soles of his shoes with his skin. Langley’s outreach worker Fraser Holland drove him to Langley Memorial where a doctor had to break the very sad news that he would have to have partial amputation of both feet.

The news was devastating to a man who walked more miles in a day than most of us.

Holland came up to visit with him and work out details about where he would live after being released from hospital.

After all, living on the streets was no longer an option, much to Rob’s dismay.

Langley Salvation Army envoy Gary Johnson was also called in to help where needed.

“We got him into Miracle Valley (for detox) and then into a safe house in Mission,” said Johnson this week. “We got his teeth fixed and worked with him to get his prosthesis’. He’s been working full-time for over a year in a B.C. Hydro working station as a cook up country. He’s a really level headed guy once we go him into detox. He’s really doing well.”

Johnson said it was a real team effort, with police, the hospital, Miracle Valley detox, the safe house, a dentist, and the employment agency that found the 41-year-old work to make it all come together.

“If there is a person to advocate for someone, there can be real success stories. The government paid for all of it (the dentist, prosthesis, detox, safe house), so they play a huge roll. But without someone advocating for him, it doesn’t happen.”

Johnson and all the people at Salvation Army are just rolling out their kettle campaign, with lofty goals of raising $350,000.

So how does the kettle campaign relate to Rob?

With several people’s donations into the red kettle, Rob was advocated for and helped by the Salvation Army.

It may seem a little gesture, to drop $5 in the kettle, but the money can be life changing to someone on the streets, said Johnson.

With the Salvation Army’s Gateway of Hope emergency shelter and meal centre opening in less than a year, the kettle campaign is more crucial this year, than any other, he said.

He estimates 150 meals will be served per day, seven days a week. At $3 per meal, that adds up to around $170,000 annually.

Salvation Army’s belief is that feeding people is the connection to minister and counsel those in need. It’s the gateway to helping.

“At the Gateway meal centre, we are really hoping to do preventative care so people don’t end up in Rob’s situation,’ he said.

The need on the streets is growing again this year, he said.

“We are up 25 per cent from last year for hampers,” he said. That’s also where kettle money goes, he said. They estimate to spend $10,000 on food for the hampers this year in Langley. More seniors are registering for a hamper, which is good, he said. A recent study put out by United Way found that two in five seniors live in poverty.

“We know they are out there. I had one call from a senior today and when I asked him to come down he said he couldn’t because he has had a stroke. We can go to him,” Johnson said.

On delivery day, dozens of volunteers pack up the hampers and deliver them to where they need to go.

With the weather getting colder each day, the Extreme, Wet Weather Team is gearing up to house the homeless through freezing cold nights.

There is a real need for blankets, winter coats, long johns, men’s shoes and underwear.

Each year, there is a real need for men’s underwear but for what ever reason, the ‘unmentionables’ never come his way, he said.

“We always hope for underwear each year, but we never seem to get it,” he said.

Kettles will start to be seen more and more around town, at the PriceSmart, Willowbrook shopping centre, Army and Navy, liquor stores and other locations.

The Salvation Army is located in Sundel Square on Fraser Highway at 201A Street.

If you are interested in volunteering to man a kettle or for any other information cal the Salvation Army at 604-514-7375.